WTF: Stanley McChrystal Appointed to the White House

Gen. Stanley McChrystal was relieved of command after openly trash talking several Obama administration officials in Michael Hastings infamous Rolling Stone article. McChrystal people that the General did not have high regard for President Barack Obama's abilities as Commander in Chief.

According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked "uncomfortable and intimidated" by a roomful of military brass. Their first one-on-one meeting took place in the Oval Office four months later, after McChrystal got the Afghanistan job, and it didn't go much better. "It was a 10-minute photo op," says an adviser to McChrystal. "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his fucking war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed."

To make matters worse, McChrystal disparagingly spoke about Vice- President Joe Biden's and National Security Adviser January Jones on-the-record. The result was President Obama stripping McChystal of his command.

We now learn that Obama has appointed McChrystal to the White House position of overseeing military families. Why the President would reward McChrystal with a White House position makes no sense. It is as if Obama has an obsessive need to please people whom hold him in open contempt.

Another sourse of controversy for McChrystal is his handling of the death of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman. The fact is Tillman was killed by friendly fire. McChrystal ruled that Tillman was killed in combat. The truth is the fire fight was started when an explosive went off. Tillman's unit did not engage enemy combatants.

McCrystal was well aware the true cause of Tillman's death. McCrystal wrote this memo.

McChrystal wrote to his higher ups to make sure that they knew the truth so as to "preclude any...public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public."

The Pentigon Inspector General reccommended disciplinary action. The Bush administration protected McCrystal and used executive priveledge to withhold details of Tillman's death.

Mary Tillman, Pat's mother, is outraged and wants McCrystal removed from the White House position.

"He deliberately helped cover up Pat's death and he has never adequately apologized to us for doing that," she says. "General McCrystal knew we were actively looking for answers. No one contacted us to try and square with us what had happened."

Money quote:

(Mary) Tillman says the president's appointment of McCrystal "makes him look foolish, frankly."

Amen.